December 9, 2016 Think Like a Doctor By LISA SANDERS, M.D. On Thursday we asked Well readers to take on the difficult case of a 64-year-old contractor who had had a blistering rash on his hands off and on for over 20 years. The man saw the rash as simply annoying, but the diagnosis suggested …

December 9, 2016 By SUSAN B. GARLAND ISABELLA S. BICK’S parents, both Jewish physicians, never talked about the past after the family moved from Fascist Italy to the United States in 1939. She was 8 at the time and quickly learned it was best to keep her feelings of loss and loneliness to herself. Her …

Prospective Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, currently the chairman of the House Budget Committee, brings a distinctive to-do list to the agency. And, if confirmed by the Senate, he will have tremendous independent power to get things done. While he will report to the president, heads of major agencies like HHS — with a …

A selection of opinions on health care from around the country. Boston Globe: Repealing The Affordable Care Act — Fact Vs. FictionAs the new administration and Republican allies in Congress plan their agenda for 2017, repeal of the Affordable Care Act is front and center. Senate Republicans last week put out a policy statement reiterating …

Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs. JAMA Surgery: Association Between Surgeon Scorecard Use And Operating Room CostsQuestion: What is the association between providing surgeons with individualized cost feedback and surgical supply costs? Findings: In this case-control study, surgeons in the intervention group received cost feedback scorecards during …

Outlets report on health news from Georgia, Arizona, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Maryland, Ohio, Florida and California. Georgia Health News: State Identifies Rural Hospitals In Biggest Need Of Donation HelpA South Georgia hospital has been ranked as the most financially stressed among 49 rural hospitals eligible for a new state tax credit program.State officials, after reviewing …

A report released by the National Center for Transgender Equality shows that many still struggle with bias and prejudice that negatively affects their mental health, despite gains in transgender rights in the past few years. The Associated Press: Major Survey Of Transgender Americans Finds Pervasive BiasThe largest-ever survey of transgender Americans paints a grim picture …

The VA determines the ratings for 146 of its medical centers each quarter and bases them on dozens of factors, including death and infection rates, instances of avoidable complications and wait times. USA Today: Internal Documents Detail Secret VA Quality RatingsThe Department of Veterans Affairs has for years assigned star ratings for each of its …

Evergreen, which started as a one of the health co-op insurers funded by the federal health law, ran into financial problems. Insurance regulators had hoped that it would work through the regulatory process for its conversion in time for the beginning of 2017 coverage, but it didn’t manage to do so. The Associated Press: Evergreen …

CMS releases the list of drugs that contributed to higher Medicare spending in 2015. Meanwhile, payers predict drug prices will continue to rise between 3 and 6 percent over the next three years. Stat: These Drugs For Medicare Patients Cost American Taxpayers The MostDrugs to treat cancer, high blood pressure, and seizures experienced large price …

Meanwhile, in other pharmaceutical news, the U.S. solicitor general urges the Supreme Court to review a case on biosimilars. And news outlets report on developments from Bristol-Myers, Horizon Pharma and Endo International. Stat: Why Biogen Is Breathing A Sigh Of Relief With The Latest Alzheimer’s DataLilly’s treatment, solanezumab, had no significant effect on the buildup …

Pressed for time? This 20-minute workout from Barry’s Bootcamp will maximize your limited schedule and leave your abs on fire. To perform the exercises demonstrated in this video by Rebecca Kennedy, all you need is a mat, a little space, and some motivation (you can even do it in your own home!). Watch the video …

Feel like you’re forever tightly wound? We feel you. You have a good reason to crave that deep-tissue massage after a stressful day at work. Research shows that we carry certain emotions, like anger and anxiety, in our head, neck and shoulders. Over time, that chronic stress leads to tense knots in our upper body. That’s why we designed this …

December 9, 2016 By MAGGIE DOWNS Every Wednesday, after my husband left for work, Everest and I headed out for a movie date. “Wild” was a favorite, as were “If I Stay” and “The Hundred-Foot Journey,” because those were quiet, character-driven stories. Everest didn’t much care what was on the screen: He was only 3 …

Dec 9 2016 Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations. Kaiser Health News: Retired Coal Miners At Risk Of Losing Promised Health Coverage And PensionsWest Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Kara Lofton reports: “Without congressional intervention, about 16,000 retired miners in seven states will lose their health care coverage by the end of the year.A …

By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS December 9, 2016 By now it is pretty well accepted both that physical inactivity is bad — recently linked to 6 percent of all cases of heart disease worldwide and 11 percent of all premature deaths in the United States — and that exercise is good, because it tends to increase life span and …

Lower income parents who have health insurance through their employers are increasingly likely to forgo family coverage and enroll their kids in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) instead, a new study found. Working families’ growing reliance on these programs is something lawmakers should keep in mind when they consider whether to renew …

December 9, 2016 Modern Love By AMANDA AVUTU At first, I knew only that a family of refugees were coming to our Atlanta neighborhood. I had seen a community Facebook post asking for help cleaning the apartment they would use, and I volunteered my family for the effort. Secretly, irrationally, I already loved them. I …

Without congressional intervention, about 16,000 retired miners in seven states will lose their health care coverage by the end of the year. A proposal to temporarily extend the benefits is working its way through Congress. But two Senate Democrats, who have long been advocates for a more comprehensive plan, say the temporary provision isn’t enough. …

By STEVEN KURUTZ December 8, 2016 Matthew McConaughey has two movies out this month. In one, he gives voice to an animated koala who organizes a singing contest. In the other, he plays a schlubby dreamer turned jungle adventurer. The details are not important. The main thing is, the movies will keep him in the public eye …

Among Republican ideas to transform the health care system is a proposal to allow health insurers to sell their policies across state lines. President-elect Donald Trump and Rep. Tom Price, the Georgia congressman picked by Trump to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, have backed the proposal. They and other advocates see it …

December 8, 2016 Social Q’s By PHILIP GALANES Last week, a woman I barely know came up to me reluctantly to tell me that, according to her teenage daughter, my teenage son is pretty much friendless and is being bullied at school for being a “freak.” I had no idea, but I can see that …